Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



B. B. HOTCHKISS.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm.

Patented Aug. 17, 1869.

Ewan/tor;

Wilt 7063398.

I M I 4/ f L B W W m M flutteri- B. B. HOTCH'KISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

. Letters Patent No. 93,822, dated August 17, 1869 antedated August 13,1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRBECH-LOADING- FIRE-ARMS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, B. B. Hocronxrss, of thecity and county of New York, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof.

My invention may be applied to many or all varietics of fire-arms, butis more particularly intended for use on the small-arms employed in themilitary ser- V108.

I will first describe what I consider the best means of carrying out myinvention, and will afterward designate the points which I believe to benew therein.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through the breech of thebarrel, and through the parts adjacent thereto. 1

Figure 2 is a plan view, and

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line S S in fig. 1.

(All these figures represent the parts in the position ready forfiring.)

Figure 4 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the parts inthe condition ready to receive a fresh cartridge.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

.A is the barrel of a rifled musket or shoulder-arm.

a .is a portion of the stock.

A is an extension connected in the ordinary mannor by strongscrew-threads, and forming an immovable connection, and in effect, asingle piece, with the barrel A. The part A is open at the top and sideas indicated, and is chambered through in line with the bore of thebarrel.

B is a sliding bolt, having a stout handle, B, and adapted to moveforward and backward in the extension A, and to be secured in its properposition by being turned a quarter of a revolution.

0 is a piece connected in the rear of, and capable of moving axiallywith the part B.

D is a spring-catch secured to the under side of the extension A, asrepresented, and adapted to hold back the part G.

E is a trigger which will draw down the catch D, and allow the part 0 tomove forward by the action of, the spring m when it is desired to firethe piece.

My invention may be used with many varieties of cartridges. I haverepresented it as intended for a centre-firing percussiou-cartridge, ofwhich what is known as the Boxer cartridge may be considered a goodspecimen.

My invention may be used vith any of the varieties of needle-cartridges,but it is better adapted for those cartridges which are to be fired by asimple blow against the rear.-

One of the difficulties attending the employment of cartridges-of thischaracter in bolt-arms, is due to the liability of the cartridge to beexploded by the sudden shook which results from the vigorous movingforward of the bolt into its front position.

As such arms have been heretofore constructed, there have been twodistinctly-separate movements requiredone to carry forward the bolt intoits extreme forward position, against, or in close proximity to the rearof the cartridge, and another motion to partially turn, and thereby lockthe bolt in its forward position.

My bolt B is moved forward, and is turned and locked, but the movementis changed gradually from the forward to the turning motion. It doesnot, as is the case with the corresponding part in ordinary boltarms,first move forward to its extreme front position and there come to restmomentarily, and then commence to turn; the movement is changedgradually from the forward motion to the turning motion. It.

moves forward until near its extreme forward position, say within aquarter of an inch; it then commences its turning motion, and forawhile, both of these motions proceed simultaneously. It by degreesattains its extreme forward position, and its last motion is, or may be,exclusively a turning motion. This gradual checking of the forwardmotion, and the gradual changing of the forward, or progressing, oraxial motion, into a turning motion, avoids any concussion of the boltagainst the rear of the cartridge. It may press with any required degreeof force against the rear of the cartridge, without subjecting thecartridge to concussion.

The details of the construction in which this and the several otherpeculiarities of my invention are involved, are very clearly shown inthe drawings.

Tints are used merely to distinguish parts, and do not imply differencesof material.. The material of the metallic parts may be iron and steel.

A pin,.c, which is formed as a part of, or is firmly connected to therear part 0, extends through the hollow interior of the bolt- B, in theline, of the axis, and forms the exploding-pin to act on the cartridge.It is providedavith a collar, 0 which receives the force of a stoutspiral spring, in, which abuts against a piece, I), fitted in'the rearof the bolt B, as represented. The

spring on tends to carry the pin 0 and its connectionsthe piece isfired, will be readily understood by those familiar with this class ofarms. The part of G which lapsupon the bolt B, is designated 0. Aninternal projection, o extending downward from this overforce isaccumulated in this spring, which is afterthis is the best form known tome) for transferring or lapping face, stands in a groove in the bolt B,as shown in the figures, marked an, 850.

It will be understood that the part 0 does not turn, but is capablesimply of a forward and backward motion. On pulling the trigger E, anddepressing the catch D, so as toliberate the piece 0 and itsconnections, the pin 0 moves'forward with all the force due to thetension of the spring'bn, and fires the cartridge. In effecting thismovement the projection c traverses forward in the straight portion ofthe groove referred to. I

In preparing to reload the piece, the 'first operation is to turn thehandle B into an upright position.' This turns the'bolt B one-fourth ofa revolution, and in thismovement the internal projection 0 on the part0, is traversed along in the curved portion a, of the groove aforesaid.This movement, by reason of the curvature of the groove it, draws backthe project-ion c, and consequently .the entire piece 0, and itsconnections.

The curvature of this portion of the groove is such that the port-ions BO, and their connections, are drawn back to a suflicient extent to drawthe front of-the firing-pin 0 just within the front end of the bolt B.Now by drawing directly backward on the handle B, all the parts, that isto say, the bolt B, and also the part 0 and its several connections, thefiring-pin c, 850., are drawn back to the extent shown in fig. 4. Thelimit to which this bolt and its attachments are capable of moving, iscontrolled by a screw-pin, H, tapped through the side of the part A, andstanding ina longitudinal groove in the side of the bolt B, being inthis respect precisely similar to that in other approved forms ofbolt-arms.

Any approved method may be adopted for removing the remains of thecartridge after firing.

In order to introduce afresh cartridge, it is necessary simply to drop,or otherwise deposit the cartridge in the ample space provided by thedrawing back of the bolt, and now, on pressing forward the handle B,results occur which are worthy of close attention.

First the bolt B, and the connected parts 0 O, &c., move forwardtogether, without turning, and without any motion relatively to eachother. This condition obtains until the further forward motion of therear piece 0, and its connections, is arrested by the catch orspring-stop D. In this condition the rear pint O 0 wi h the firing-pin cc, &c., becomes entirely motionless. The bolt B, continuing to moveforward by the forcible action of the hand against the handle B, thespring on is compressed, and in this movement the ward to be f availablein the act of firing. The bolt B and handle B move forward withoutturning, until the root of the handle B strikes the curve P, andcommences thereby to be turned.

It is not important that this curved surface P'be located in theposition here represented. It is simply necessary that there shall be aprovision (of which changing the impetus of the hand of the operator,and of the several parts, so that the forward motion of the bolt Bshallbe changed to a turning motion of the same part and its connections. Asthe movement progresses, (the operator, of course, assisting the turningmotion to some-extent) it will result that the forward-progressingmotion becomes gradually and ultimately completely changed into aturning motion, without progress, as above described.

The movement to obtain this condition is, in fact,

but a single movement. It commences with a direct forward motion, whichchanges gradually, being for a time partly of the forward and partly ofthe turning motion, but terminating with a motion which is exclusively aturning motion.

' During this single yet compound motion, the projection 0 which hasbeen several times referred to, traverses a recess, or rebate M on thesurface of the bolt B. This, it will be observed, has :a form andposition corresponding to the motion of the bolt B, relatively to thebolt 0; that is to say, the rebate n extends first directly backward,then changes grad ually, by curving into a lateral direction, and at theend of the motion, the projection 0 stands in the junction of the groove11. with the rebate, or groove n ready to move forward freely when thetrigger is pulled.

A notch, n, is provided,as represented, in the front face of the rebateW, in which the projection 0 may be allowed to take when it is desiredthat the gun shall remain at halfcock.

In order to effect this, it will be understood that the piece 0 is heldback by the thumb applied on the'pait O and the trigger being pulled todepress the catch 1), the forward motion of the bolt .0, and itsconnections is restrained, while the handle B is turned into apositionintermediate between the horizontal and the upright. In this positionthe part 0 is allowed to move forward until the projection o rests inthe notch n.

In this condition the gun cannot be fired by any violence, and when itis desired to full cock the piece from its half-cocked condition, it isonly necessary to draw back the piece 0 into the'full cock condition,and to turn the handle B down.

The curvature of the groove it promotes safety.

It effects this in three ways, and performs three distinct functions.

The firing-pin cannot strike the cartridge until the bolt B is fullyturned, and the handle B is horizontal. It thus acts as a stop toprevent'firing with the bolt B not fully turned; and this is onefunction.

Another function is to hold the part B firmly over and prevent itsturning back again into a false position under the concussion andrecoil-of the firing.

Still a third is to insure that the firing-pin 0 shall be" drawn backwithin the bolt B, in the act of preparing to introduce a cartridge, andshall be held back there when the new cartridge is struck, in the act ofbeing pushed forward into the barrel.

If the groove n were not curved, the pin 0 would protrude at the frontof B, during the first portion of the motion of pushing in thecartridge, and it would be possible to explode the cartridge by usingthe hand with great energy in the act of merely commencing to push thecartridge home.

Having now fully described my'invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by 'Letters Patent, is asfollows:

1. I claim the means herein described for cooking the piece 0, incombination with thesingle compound movement of the piece B, as and forthe purposes herein described.

2. I claim the within-described arrangement of the recesses n a p and ofthe half-cock notch a, relatively to each other and to the bolt B,rearpart G, and the internal projection 0 as and for the purposes hereinset forth.

. In-testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my name, in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

. B. B. HOTGHKISS.

\Vitnesses:

THOMAS D. STn'rsoN, O. G. L'rvmos.

